My hand shook slightly. The pot tilted wrong. A thin stream of coffee sloshed dangerously close to my fingers.
“Hey.” Levi moved fast.
His hand closed around my wrist, tugging it back just before the hot liquid could spill over my skin.The pot wobbled, and I froze.
For a second, all I could feel was the warmth of his firm grip.
“I’ve got it,” he said quietly.
He took the pot from me, his fingers brushing mine as he did, and set it back upright with practiced ease.
“Let me do that for you,” he offered.
Something in my chest twisted at the softness in his voice, at the fact that it was still there even after everything.
I stepped back without thinking, giving him space as he poured the coffee into my mug. He was still acting like nothing had changed.
I glanced at him, unable to help myself, trying to read something in his expression. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Anger perhaps, resentment certainly, but there as none of that.
It confused me more than anything else. After everything I’d told him, after everything I’ve done, he shouldn’t be this nice to me.
He set the mug down in front of me and turned slightly, meeting my gaze.
“Sit,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs at the counter.
The gesture was so simple and familiar, it almost hurt. I hesitated for half a second, then sat, because I didn’t know what else to do.
Levi moved around the counter, setting his own mug down before leaning back slightly, arms resting against the edge.
“You worried about tonight, huh?” he said.
I wrapped both hands around my mug, letting the heat seep into my palms. The motion grounded me.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
There didn’t seem to be any point in lying anymore. I took a sip of the coffee, barely tasting it as my mind spiralled again.
Tonight, I was finally going to confront Daniel, and finally see my brother again. I thought about everything we’d set in motion, and everything that could go wrong. My stomach twisted.
“I can’t believe…” I started, then trailed off.
Levi didn’t interrupt, he merely waited.
“I might actually see him tonight,” I finished quietly.
Kai. My throat tightened around his name, even unspoken.
For so long, the idea of getting him back had felt like something distant, an impossible dream. Something I had to fight toward without ever really believing I’d reach it.
Now though, it was right there, close enough to touch.
Of course, I’d only see Kai again if everything went according to plan, and if I didn’t mess this up the way I’d messed up everything else.
“They’re going to bring him,” I said, more to myself than to Levi. “After everything I did…”
The guilt hit again, sharp and relentless.
The wolves, Levi and Cooper, helped reunite Kai and I, and I didn’t deserve that. Levi’s gaze softened slightly.
